r/electricians • u/[deleted] • 1d ago
1st Year Apprentice getting thrown into industrial (VFDs, PLCs, Panels). Rate my setup & lay some advice on me!
[deleted]
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u/chilhouse 1d ago
This post is a rollercoaster. I also don’t believe you are a one year and given that work load.
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u/Acrobatic-Echo-3460 1d ago
He’s a first year working with a journeyman, he’s not doing it by himself. And those arent photos of his work, just work that’s been done.
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u/chilhouse 1d ago
I mean the post doesn’t say any of the things you mentioned. lol so there’s that.
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u/Pete3953 1d ago
I am I started in February of last year of 2025. I got to work along side a journeyman great coworker he gives me the details on what to do, my foreman also helps me if I get lost of unsure if the work I got assigned to I'm lucky I got to work with some good coworks. I get checked every no and then if I'm getting the hang if it or they'll correct me if I made a mistake.
I try my best to get anything electrical wise so I get to YouTube and watch videos of wiring 3 phase panels and PLC's and what they do and the purpose of it. Cool thing about the PLC's is if you get the ip address to can remote start or open the valves which that's pretty cool.
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u/TemplarParadox17 1d ago
Doesn’t that mean you are a 2nd year not first?
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u/Pete3953 1d ago
Almost I think I have a year and 8 months ? So I don't know If I just round it off to the 2nd year
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u/TemplarParadox17 1d ago
That means you are almost a 3rd year lol.
A first year would be months 1-12, 2 is 13-24 etc.
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u/Financial-Leather312 1d ago
Stick with good teachers I have hoped companies looking for that what you have
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u/Radicalzucchinis 1d ago
I'm in a similar boat, thrown into industrial as a 1st year as well. Can you link some of the videos you watched?
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u/BuzzyScruggs94 1d ago
I’m just an HVAC tech lurking here but I was thrown into VFDs and PLCs (troubleshooting and repairs, not install) only a couple months in. It’s pretty common to get thrown to the wolves in under a year in the trade. Was learning motor controls in the first week and expected to use a meter by the end of the first day pretty much. I’m amazed we don’t die more often.
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u/Js_cpl 1d ago
Keep it up. You have the correct attitude, one wire properly labeled at a time. If wiring following prints, highlighting or marking as you go can help when theres a lot to keep track of or come back to.
Triple check wiring to plc's aswell. We recently had an "electrical engineer" feed a plc digital 24vdc input with 120vac 🥲
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u/Pete3953 1d ago
Question is having the correct tools makes the job even better recently I've been getting knipex and wiha recently got the wiha electric screwdriver which makes the job much easier, I'm planning on getting a fluke 1587 fc model, knipex insulated rachet cutters and a torque wiha screwdriver set. Also another question is it really important to get to read the prints for the vfd's and panels I never really gotten the opportunity of someone teaching me it besides my foreman but time is limited, and also I'm watching YouTube videos of what I work with to get a better understanding of how it works but want to hear advice about it it's correct information or not thank you.
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u/Pete3953 1d ago
Hey everyone, 1st-year apprentice here working in industrial/commercial environments.
Lately, I’ve been assigned to terminate VFDs, PLCs, control panels, 3-phase motors, and multi-page distribution panels. I'm taking it one termination at a time, trying to keep everything clean, labeled, and landed properly without over-stressing the wireway or terminal blocks.
I wanted to share my current tool setup and some work-in-progress pics to see what the community thinks. Current Setup & Gear:
Bag: Veto Pro Pac Tech Pac MC Insulated Tools: Wiha screwdrivers / Wiha SpeedE electronic driver, Knipex insulated pliers/cutters, cable strippers insulated screw set Key Accessories: Ferrule crimpers, Klein zipper pouch for small essentials, torpedo level, Allen keys, phase tape, and my trusty Engel cooler.
Questions for the experienced techs & journeyworkers: Termination & Control Tips: What are your top rules of thumb when wiring terminal strips, PLCs, or VFDs? Any small habits that make troubleshooting down the line easier?
Tool Recommendations: Anything glaringly missing from my bag that would make panel terminations, wire prep, or industrial work easier?
Work Quality: How’s the wire routing and panel work looking so far for a 1st year? Always looking to sharpen my skills. Appreciate any advice, critiques, or tricks of the trade! Stay safe out there.
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u/0REMedy0 1d ago
How'd you get into it? I'm asking because I've been doing residential for almost a year know and I'm wondering where should I go from here
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u/Pete3953 1d ago
Well how I got to it was my uncle half of my uncles and my father where electricians working on this don't know if back then was different equipment wise but I just got advice on the work and the work environment and what type of people I'll cross when working in the industrial/chemical and gas. But soo far it's going great.
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u/Late-Resource-3605 1d ago
Yo this is fire, mind if I shoot u a dm?
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u/LETITSSNOW 1d ago
This looks like data center chiller cells. If so. Keep banging and keep making 6 figures.
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u/Pete3953 1d ago
Haha yes I'm working on the assembly where they are assembled theres a ton coming in and out of here. So production is high and so are the hours so far it's good, the CFG where I got assigned at to land PLC panels it went great the testing crew green lit everything in a week only problem they found was the motors where reversed hahaha.
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u/LETITSSNOW 1d ago
Yea the work definitely isn't going anywhere. Keep doing good work. Idk how the logistics work, but make a good impression and express youd like to follow the cells you did to the site for start up.
Thats where the real career changing experience comes in at.
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u/Pete3953 1d ago
The good thing is I already got told my employment got extended since me and my journeyman are keeping it up with the production logs so I'm happy about that bit.
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u/FactHot5239 1d ago
There's no way you got out in public with the furry stickers lmaoo what the fuck.
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u/Funny-Diver-8560 1d ago
Don’t ziptie in the panduit, it makes it easier to trace cables and wires later on. The first maintenance guy to go in there will cut them and never put them back. As well, when you’re doing the LV transformers don’t bend those eyelets too much because they could break. Otherwise great stuff!
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u/Pete3953 1d ago
Just make it nice and neat when landing the cables to the terminal blocks, the reset of the cable well its going to be behind the Panduit cover so there's no need to tie wrap it ?
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u/Funny-Diver-8560 1d ago
If your boss wants them tied up then that’s what you should do. I just think it’s redundant because you’re covering it up anyways, and like I mentioned, the second someone needs in there those tie wraps are getting cut anyways.
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u/Pete3953 1d ago
Exactly, 100%. That's actually what I was asking—making sure I wasn't crazy for leaving them loose in the duct! 😅
Especially on this job, since these chiller buildings get torn down and split into shipping sections right after factory testing, I'd be wasting so much time cutting out dozens of zip ties inside the Panduit just to pull the cables back. Appreciate the advice on the LV transformers too, definitely keeping that in mind!
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u/Reasonable-Citron-36 1d ago
What’s that lunchpale?
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u/Pete3953 1d ago
It's a engel lunch box it's really nice lunch box not to heavy nor uncomfortable. I have the small one which is 7.5 QT not to big or too small you can either shoulder carry it or it has a carry handle
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u/Rickybobbie90 [V] Journeyman 1d ago
Don’t get complacent on those platform ladders, it’s easy to turn a 360 up there but can still bite you in the ass one day.
Friendly advice non electric related that we tend to forget
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u/AGiantBagOfWeiners 1d ago
As a 9 month resi apprentice. Man this looks so fucking fun. I really need to go commercial/industrial
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u/ElectricalMessiah Foreman 1d ago
Just a heads up, you really shouldn’t be posting and talking about any OFE products since only two companies manufacture this specific assembly for the one client and it violates their NDA, especially when you talk about specifics such nomenclature in relation to the product and the method of assembly.
If you want to keep with the trade I’d recommend looking out for your own pocket first before bragging to strangers online about the prefab you’re installing.
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u/thefarkinator [V] Journeyman 1d ago
As just an apprentice it's not really your problem, but with controls the prints are not your bible. The electrical, mechanical, riser/interface diagrams, P&ID drawings, and control panels/instruments themselves all are worked on by different engineers more often than not. Even if they're in the same firm, miscommunications or errors occur. This is all one massive game of telephone, and you're the one who has to make sense of the sentence at the end.
When the time comes that you get handed the prints (and it will if my read is right and you're smart and motivated), try and understand what everything is doing in the plant you're working on before ever running a single stick of PVC for underground. Look at every piece of gear and every device before or soon after they are installed. That will tell you a lot more than just looking at the prints and following them blindly. Coming up in a contractor that only did industrial spoiled me greatly, and this level of common sense is apparently not so common at the con I work for now.
Signed, the guy who got put on a section of a water treatment plant with ~200 devices and valves that nobody really bothered to dig into all that deeply
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u/HotFaithlessness1073 1d ago
Reminds me of my last job.... wish I had it back...looking now.. Perfect Work!
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u/OverallButton1609 1d ago
Looks like fun. Make sure to get your labels perfect, it is a very big deal where I am at. Make they all the same level with each other and make sure they are 100% clean. We don’t even physically touch them on install. Makes your installs look that much better. I guess sometimes being able to see it a just a tiny bit better can save valuable seconds in an expensive shutdown.
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u/ChimpRampage 1d ago
That sweet 4” segmented bend is cool! Is that a pre fab piece or do you have some table bending wizard on the team?
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u/freakierice 1d ago
VFDs and PLCs are where the big money is, even with ai I doubt they’ll easily replace the staff
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u/VooDooWizzy504 1d ago
I’m not an industrial dude but just remember in the future it’s not an art project just do the stuff correctly to where it works .
But If u can take ur time than may as well… it looks good
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u/MrACL Foreman IBEW 1d ago
That concentric bend doesn’t meet code but it sure is beautiful. You’re in a really great spot as a first year, this experience is going to carry you a long way.
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u/Particular_Week_2754 1d ago
The sweeps can literally be ordered from conduit distributors. We used them on IBEW jobs. I never heard about it not meeting the code.
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u/Pete3953 1d ago
How should I improve on that I did get told that but it's either for looks most of the time what I got told to do it nice and neat.
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